The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-11-17
Mir. eayard,s Commission.

II will be but a few days now before the
fishery commission will beginits work. The
Instructions to the American members, il
any have been given, are not known to the
public, and therefore the range which the
negotiations may take is uncertain. The
British commissioners apparently have been
given full power to consider the interpre-
tation of the Treaty of 1918, the Behring Sea
controversy, and even the subject of general
trade relations between the United States
and Canada. Probably the President and
Mr.. Bayard will hardly deem it wise or prof
liable to allow our commissioners to wander
over SO much territory, inasmuch as any COLI
clusion they may arrive at and any arrange
ment they may agree to will be of no effect
until ratified by the Senate, which has al
ready given the administration a very plain
hint that any treaty which involves modi-
fication of our tariff in return for any priyil-
eyes the Canadians have to give viii find no
favor at its hands.
We imagine, therefore, that Mr.. Bayard
will try to concentrate the attention of the
commission on the Treaty of 1918, with
view of getting England to assent to more
liberal Interpretation than the Canadians
have been willing to allow. IL he succeeds
in this and gets FROM the British government
a concession of commercial privileges to our
vessels In Dominion ports, then the work Of
the commission is likely to have some stand
ing the Senate. A modification Of the inter-
probation of the Treaty of 1918 so as to adj
nit our vessels to commercial privileges in
Dominion ports is all that we ask for, all
that we want. The privilege of fishing
within the three mile limit is not worth pay
ing any considerable price for in the opinion
of our fishermen. If then we can prevail
upon the British commissioners to take up
at the outset the Treaty of 1918 and modify
its Interpretation In accordance with our de-
mand; then we shall have got all that we
want and there is no reason to proceed fur
Their.
But there is very little likelihood that the
British commissioners will do any such
thing. England is already committed to
Canada's Interpretation Of the Treaty Of
1918, and is not likely to consent to any modi-
ication of it in our interest except for con-
sideration. Probably she will be willing to
accept a less consideration than that demand
ed by Canada, but some consideration she
Will luolob upOu. ne NaldQl-
ans have not been harassing our vessels with
out definite purpose in view. What that
purpose is has never been Obscure, and the
Dominion press Of late have revealed 1t so
clearly that nobody can be in doubt in re-
gard to it, Our vessels have been denied
commercial privileges simply to compel us
to pay for them. And the consideration the
Canadians want is the opening OF our mar
kets to their fish free of duty. They much
prefer this to cash, though they might De
willing to compromise on an exorDitant
amount of the latter. 1t is hardly possible
that the British commissioners will entirely
defeat this purpose by agreeing to modih-
cation of the Canadian Interpretation Of the
Treaty Of 1918 without the Domination is as
sured something in return. We ought not to
pay anything for this modification, for 1t